Hidden Translation
by sapofbks2008
Summary: Kotoko and Naoki had been having problems for awhile. Kotoko has no idea how to save her marriage, but he mother-in-law might know just how to fix everything.


My wife didn't know how to cook. Kotoko didn't know how to dance, it hurt to hear her sing, she was horrendous at math, and I still say a prayer every time we go into the car together.

But somewhere in the last ten years my wife had turned into a person I couldn't live without. I couldn't live without her because I loved more then words would ever be able to describe, but I also loved my wife because she had turned into a master manipulator and a little terror to anyone who came near her.

My wife had turned into my biggest supporter and she helped me move mountains in ways that I couldn't do. There were parts of my job that required that I wine and dine people, whether it be so they donate money to a cause, to help my superiors see that we needed to equipment, or on occasion she had helped convince a patient that there was a right course of action that needed to take place so they could get better.

My wife saw people for what they were. Kotoko could see someone and see the good in them when no one else could. She listened to people. She cared about people, and she knew how to sympathize. That combined with the fact that she was good at… changing people's minds about something they were dead set against…

When Kotoko thought something was for the greater good; she was usually set on changing someone's mind, and she was good at doing it.

Kotoko used her powers for the greater good 95% of the time, and I found that they other 5% of the time that she used them for evil...

It was so hot that I had to stop myself from ripping her clothes off every time I saw her do it.

I don't think Kotoko realized that she had come by this talent until she convinced my mother that it was time for us to move out. I don't think this was all together an evil act, because there was nothing wrong with us, as a family, needing space, but she had been a little evil when she had done it.

You see, we had been talking about getting our own place for a year. We had decided that after years of living with my parents we needed a place of our own to live and to grow as a couple. We wanted space and privacy to have sex in any room of the house without fearing being walked in on. We wanted to fight without someone there to watch. We wanted peace, we wanted quiet.

Kotoko wanted to eat breakfast without having to explain for the millionth time why she wasn't pregnant again.

I was making enough money at this point that I could safely buy a really really big house and not even bat a lash at the amount.

We knew it was time but neither of us knew how to approach the subject.

We were both thinking of tying my mother up before we broke the news.

One day my mother, Kotoko, Kotomi, and I were sitting at the table having breakfast when my wife burst into tears. I didn't see it coming, my mother didn't see it coming. My daughter freaked out and cheerios spilled from her mouth. Nobody knew why my wife was freaking out and I just panicked and sat there.

I was just about to pick her up and take her to the bedroom to talk when she got up from the table and ran to the kitchen.

Kotomi chose that moment to break out into tears because she was scared, so I had to attend to my daughter, but my mother chased after Kotoko.

The planning of this moment is something that still blows my mind.

It took me moments to distract my daughter with a toy. I was trying to rattle my head and figure out what was going on. I put her in front of the tv in the living room and I rushed to my Kotoko.

I was just about to go after her when I received a text message.

_I'm fine. Don't worry. I have this covered. Stay away from the kitchen. -Kotoko_

I remember at the moment thinking that my wife has lost all of her marbles.

I didn't know what was going on and I wanted to know what had freaked her out so I went to the kitchen.

I stopped at her sob.

It was heartbreaking. It sounded like my wife's world was shattering. I felt like I had failed her and I hadn't even known it was happening.

"You can't tell him, you just can't tell him about any of this!" My wife sat at the table with a red face and she looked like she was about to lose it again at any moment.

My mother had tears in her eyes and rubbed my wifes back.

I remembered the _Stay away from the kitchen _and paused before I entered.

"I don't know what came over me?! I was fine and one minute I just couldn't hold it back any longer." Kotoko blotted her face with a napkin and hiccuped.

My mother cooed and drank her coffee.

"We've been having all these problems lately and we didn't want anyone to know because we didn't want to worry you all and I just can't… I just cant pretend anymore!" She half whispered this in a panic.

I remember at the moment feeling deeply confused because our relationship had seemed like it was getting along fine.

I also remember a little panic at the thought that I had missed something.

My wife continued and as she continued I had never been more lost about what was going on. I had clearly missed the first bit of the situation, but it didn't take me long to figure out where the discussion was going.

Kotoko started to talk about how we had been fighting more because our sex life wasn't what it used to be. She admitted that it was a stupid thing to fight about, but we did it all the time. She admitted with a deep flush on her skin, about how we both wanted different things in the bedroom and didn't know how to talk to one another, she started admitting that we were turning into this boring couple who lived separate lives and were losing touch with one another. Kotoko started talking about how living together had started to feel claustrophobic and how we both wanted… something and we didn't know what.

My wife made us sound like we we two people who were on the verge of divorce, and at that point I was shaking my head and wondering what the hell was going on.

Kotoko and I had just started to figured out how to communicate with one another and still be on the same page. The sex between us was great. Just this morning we had sex on the bathroom counter. We had laughed about it for twenty minutes afterward because we had gotten toothpaste everywhere when Kotoko's butt had sat on the open tube of toothpaste. We had in fact argued after though.

We both tried to blame the other for not putting the cap back on. We had then both cracked up because getting toothpaste off of Kotoko's ass was not as easy we had thought it was going to be.

And then we had sex again in the shower.

What the hell was she going on about?

We never had sex.

Not likely.

And talking?

We talked all the time.

We never really fought and our biggest problem was the house situation and we never fought about the house….

I remember then that I started to figure out what was going on.

I also remember the shock at my wifes acting.

What I was hoping was acting anyway.

I hid myself a little bit better and continued to listen.

"I think we need a change but everything seems like it should be so perfect! We have everything. I just feel like sometimes... I just feel like sometimes we're not talking to one another. I just don't know."

My wife timed a sip from her coffee cup, I saw the moment, I saw the need for perfect timing.

"And then there's the job offer." She whispered this brokenly.

My mother spoke for the first time. "What job offer sweety?"

"You see, Naoki got this job offer from that big hospital that's being built downtown and I think he wants to take it, but we don't talk about it."

"My! Thats almost an hour and a half away."

Kotoko nodded slowly, "He wants the job so bad. I can see it when he mentions it, but I don't know what to say to him. We live here and we're happy here and Naoki's happy here, but it's a great opportunity…"

My mother got this determined look on her face and took one of Kotoko's hands into her own. "I think you should convince him to take the job."

My wife looked shocked and I don't think it was all acting this time. "But it's so far away."

"My son has always wanted to be apart of the bigger picture. This is something I know he would want more then anything. He can do so many great things! He's been in one place too long. You need to understand how bad he needs this. He probably just doesn't want you to know."

I saw Kotoko quickly take a sip to hide a smirk.

I had to stop one of my own. It was true that the new hospital had been hounding me to take a job with them. But my mother was indeed wrong on my drive to be an amazing doctor. She was partly right because I still did want to be amazing and do something that would better medicine, but right now I wanted to focus on my family. The medicine would still be there but Kotomi would only be little once. Wanting to move had nothing to do with the job offer and everything to do with wanting to start our own home and have more space.

Because Kotoko and I TALKED ALL THE TIME. Kotoko, more than anyone else, knew this about me.

My mother nodded, "I know it's far away, and it'll be horrible to lose the three of you, but you should convince him that maybe a move would be best."

Kotoko started to shake her head and protest, "We couldn't. Kotomi is just about to start school-"

My mother didn't want to hear any of it. "No, this is the perfect time. You two might just be unhappy because you need a change. The two of you clearly need more room then we have in this tiny place."

A _tiny_ place that had just been remodeled and now had a whole new third level...

For the future children that Kotoko and I were meant to have.

"We couldn't-" My wife started.

"You two clearly need this! Just talk to him about it. It won't solve everything but it is a start."

My wife sat there for a moment in thought and got a determined look on her face.

She nodded. "I can do this. He needs this! It's like you said. We'll figure everything out. It'll suck that we have to leave everyone, but it won't be that far away really... "

Kotoko drifted like she was deep in thought and my mother nodded to me clearly knowing I was there the whole time. My mother got up, walked to the sink with her cup, and left the kitchen.

She was clearly giving us room so we could "talk".

I cautiously walked into the kitchen and took a seat next to her at the kitchen table.

In that moment I was thankful for our relationship because it allowed us to talk without saying anything. I really didn't know what to say that would allow us to keep up the charade.

I just sat there and said "Wow." _Translation: I can't believe you did that. Well done._

Kotoko smiled a little sheepishly. "I've been meaning to talk to you. I should have told you about all of this first. I just didn't know how." _Translation: I couldn't tell you that I was going to do this because I wanted it to seem real and it wouldn't have if you're mother sensed that something was off._

I nodded and leaned over and kissed her. "Well get through anything."

_Translation: I can't believe you pulled this off._

_END_

**_A/N: I really had no intention of getting a story out any time soon, but this one literally hit me over the head. LOL, Hope all of you enjoy this. R/R please! I beg of you to review. I want to know what everyone thinks! :)_**


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